Name That Tune

These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.

"The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand." Frank Herbert.

Chapter 4

Johnny was focused on the ambulance running ahead of him and the Squad. The emergency music was pounding in his head and this was no toe tapping tune this time.

Bah da da…Bah da da…Bah da da …..

Roy listened to his small patient's breath sounds as Mark continued the gentle breaths. He was pleased to see that the child was now taking some breaths on his own. Not enough to stop the assisted breathing just yet but definitely an improvement. His color was a nice pink but the bruises to his face and neck were beginning to darken now. The dark circles under his small eyes told of the beating he had taken. Feeling for a pulse he stole a glance out the back windows of the ambulance, comforted by the sight of Johnny just behind them. Looking back to his young charge he jotted down the vital signs then gently ran his fingers through the curly blond locks on his forehead. Hang in there little man, we're almost there, Roy thought.

Hearing a car horn blowing Roy glanced up to see what was making the noise just as a dark blue station wagon rammed into the passenger side of the Squad. It took a second for the crashing sound to register in Roy's shocked brain. The crunching metal and squealing tires awakened his senses as he yelled to the driver to stop the ambulance.

"Stay here with him; let me know if anything changes." Then to the driver, "Call dispatch for a MVA, we need help including another ambulance and Squad." With that done he jumped out the back of the ambulance and ran straight for Johnny.

He approached the passenger door, his heart pounding out of his chest, then was able to breathe a huge sigh of relieve to see Johnny looking at him. Shaken but conscious. He opened the door to find him just sitting there.

"What happened?" Johnny was confused as to why Roy was opening his door.

"Think you got hit partner." Roy was a little concerned with Johnny's confusion. The impact was at the passenger door and Johnny physically appeared unhurt.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" He asked his friend.

"Uh, no I don't think so," Johnny seemed to become more alert as Roy talked to him. "The other car."

"I'll go check on them, you stay right here. I've already called for backup." Pausing a moment to make sure that Johnny was going to stay still Roy turned and jogged over to the other car.

"I saw her, she ran the red light. I just knew she was gonna hit him. I could see it coming!" Roy looked up to see an older man waving his hand at the woman in the station wagon.

"It's alright sir. Just give the police a statement when they arrive." Roy moved to the driver's door to see a woman and a young girl about 14 years old. In the back seat were two boys who were crying, they looked to be about 8 and 10 years old.

Roy tried to open the door but it was jammed from the front end damage of the car. He wanted to get access to the woman and girl, as neither one was moving.

"This side is jammed too Roy."

Roy looked up to see Johnny pulling on the passenger side door.

"I told you to sit still," Roy was annoyed. It was just like Johnny to ignore his own injuries to help someone else. But with him out here alone he couldn't take the chance that Johnny was hurt worse than he was letting on. "Go sit in the squad until the engine arrives."

Johnny frowned at the authoratative voice that came out of Roy to him. He was disconcerted that he couldn't remember what happened. Was the accident his fault? One thing he was sure of was the two front seat passengers were unconscious and needed help. Now distracted by his own train of thought and the Da da da ….da..da...da...da… in his head he turned to the back door and pulled it open.

"Shh, its ok fellows don't cry. My name is Johnny and I'm a fireman. We're here to help you ok?" They didn't quiet down too much but did shake their heads to acknowledge him. Glancing up to see Roy moving into the back seat from the other side his glare reminded Johnny about the 'order' he had received from his senior partner. Instead he just decided to try and send Roy a smile of 'I'm ok' and see if that would appease him some.

Looking at the effect of the smile he felt he was in the doghouse with his friend for a while.

As Johnny worked on assessing the young girl in the seat ahead of him, Roy reached to find a pulse on the woman. "She's got a pulse, it's good and strong. What about the girl?"

"Same here," he called back.

Hearing the sirens approaching Roy looked up to see Engine 51 coming onto the scene. They were tailed by a police car. "Helps arrived," he said to Johnny. Climbing back out of the car he ran to the approaching engine as Mike pulled her to a stop.

Hank jumped out and quickly assessed the scene and was shocked to see the crumpled Squad.

"What happened? Are you ok?" He asked with great concern.

"Yea, I'm fine. Johnny was in the squad but seems unhurt. Apparently she ran the red light and slammed right into him."

Hank turned to the firemen climbing down from their seats, "Marco pull an inch and a half, Chet grab those battery cables buddy."

"Sure Cap," and they both moved off with duties to perform. Both took in the site of the damaged Squad. Even knowing Johnny was ok it made them cringe to know that it could have been worse.

Johnny yelled to Roy from the car, "Roy, she's waking up in here. I need some help."

Johnny was holding onto the young girls head as the mother bolted awake and started yelling, "Oh my God," Johnny was trying to calm her as she went straight to grabbing for her children.

"Mame, you need to calm down." It was about impossible to keep her hands off the young girl as he struggled to keep her head straight. "Don't pull on her, she might be injured. Are you her mom?" He was trying to distract her with questions.

"Yes, oh God, is she ok? Why won't she wake up!" The woman was about hysterical. "My boys," she turned to see them crying in the backseat.

"Now, their ok Mame but I need you to be still and calm down." He was grateful to see Roy and Hank come up to the car. Roy had C-collars and backboards with him. Mike came up behind Hank with the porta power for the jammed front doors.

Roy climbed back in behind the mother, "I need you to calm down ok?" He spoke softly and calmly to her. "The boys are ok and we're taking care of your daughter but I need to make sure you're ok too."

She calmed to his voice, seeing that her boys were loud but unhurt. She sat still while Roy put the collar on to stabilize her neck. Mike got the two doors opened then moved in the front passenger seat to help Johnny get the collar on the girl, then the backboard ready for her. Once Mike had a good hold on her, Johnny moved to the front to work on some vital signs.

Mike looked up with curiosity as he caught both Roy and Hank watching Johnny. Now with Roy, he understood. Roy and Johnny were like brothers and of course Roy would be worried about him. But Cap held a different look. It was an inquisitive look like he was expecting Johnny to do something odd.

Squad 86 pulled up as they were moving the two patients out and Roy asked them to get the young boy in the ambulance into Rampart. Next they extricated the two front seat passengers, reported into Rampart and got them loaded into the ambulance with the young boys.

Looking back at the pathetic Squad Johnny felt momentarily lost, and then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was his Captain, "Pally, go in with Roy. Get checked out and make sure you're ok. We will get a replacement squad to you at Rampart."

"Ok Cap, thanks."

Hank squeezed his shoulder gently, almost hating to break the contact with his friend. He was feeling almost sad about Johnny and very unsure about his future at this point. He knew he had to wrap up this incident and get back to the station for an important meeting.

Roy and Johnny climbed into the ambulance and headed to Rampart.

"Is Johnny ok Cap?" Mike asked after witnessing the brief conversation between them.

"I hope so Mike. I hope so." His voice trailed off as he moved towards the engine leaving a confused Mike behind.

They continued to assess the patients as they moved towards Rampart. Roy watched with concern as Johnny rubbed his shoulder. "Did you get your shoulder?"

Johnny smiled, leave it to Roy to notice his subtle movements like a mother hen. "Yea, hit it against the door I think." He looked at his friend, "I didn't even see her coming at me Roy."

Roy patted him on the back, "It's ok Junior. Wasn't your fault."

Johnny looked at the unconscious young girl and felt that it was his fault. If he had been paying closer attention then he might could have swerved away from them and decreased the chance of a hard impact. The music had overwhelmed him for a moment, blinded him to what he should have seen. That scared him. What about next time? Even now, the racing music was trying to drown out Roy's words. He just shook his head to make Roy think he was listening when all he wanted to do was turn off his brain and sleep.